A Study of the Mind
by EwanMcGregorIsMyHomeboy12
Summary: How does the Sorting Hat choose a house when so many things effect people?   4 Characters per cahpter :
1. Chapter 1

Red hair, pure-blood, friendly. A Weasley. He had had both of the boy's parents, both red heads, they had been much like him, only not as bright, he sensed. He saw no prejudice in the boy's mind, not thoughts that muggles were wronged even though the boy's blood ran clean. A fascination, actually, with his non-magical brethren rested untapped in his brain, and as the hat looked onward, eh saw that as his career. Not well paying, but self-satisfying.

But Muggle Studies merited no house, and as he delved into the boys mind, intelligence was strong. Ravenclaw might fit, but the deeper he looked he saw a difficult future ahead of the boy. Pain and loss, but love and strength. He saw a family, devastated by a death of one of their own, but the man standing strong, still fighting. "GRYFFINDOR!"

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><p>Under the hat's brim, he could feel the girl's hair change color as her nerve increased. She sat twitching slightly underneath the hat's brim, but the hat hardly noticed, not paying attention any more to her physicality. Her mind was complex, her mother's past full of rancor; her father's full of secrets of what he was. She was a Black, halfway anyway, the hat hadn't seen a Black since Regulus, but she did not fit in with the rest in Slytherin.<p>

She was bright, but not fit for Ravenclaw; very brave, but that was not all that went into Gryffindor. He saw her ability to work hard, her loyalty to what she saw as right. No prejudice towards muggles, despite her mother's family, no fear of having to work for what you wanted, no doubt of trust to those she loved. "HUFFLEPUFF!"

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><p>The girl was different, he could tell already. Her life marred by a two-year old tragedy, the girl was eccentric, trying to find herself in the midst of sadness. Her mind was full of information, some of it fully based in faith in her father's ideals, some of it real information. Maybe socially awkward, the hat thought, but only because she knew three times what her peers did. She understood people beyond what they did, she saw what they truly felt, what they truly meant, what they truly were.<p>

But she was brave too. Standing alone in a world of conformers, she would stand strong for what she thought was right. Loyal as well, he saw friends in her future she would never dream of betraying, despite anything that would happen to her. Strong, determined, loyal, she would fit in almost any house. But her mind won the hat over. It debated for only a second more, hearing her start to whistle an old tune under her breath. "RAVENCLAW!"

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><p>The hat always hated sorting people like this. Their head, like the boy's he was sitting on, were almost empty. No deep thought, no intriguing memories, no real opinions. This boy was a follower, but of what? He could see the boy's father, dark cloak and tattoo on his arm. Death Eater children rarely had any appeal to the hat, this one was no exception.<p>

Pure-blood, muggle prejudice; no real courage, no true loyalty, definitely no intelligence. No cunning, or ambition really, no tendency to work hard, no tendency to think either. The hat thought that honestly, there wasn't a place for this boy at the school, but that was not for it to say, he had to sort it where he saw fit. Only one choice really. "SLYTHERIN!"

See if you can tell me who all four are Reviews are appreciated!

I don't own Harry Potter or any part of it,


	2. Chapter 2

The hat knew the moment it touched the boy's head. His mind was guarded by prejudice, and, buried deep underneath it, insecurity. Somewhere in his mind, he realized that his father truly controlled very little, that eventually all the façade of power would dissolve before the boy's eyes, and he knew it too. But as of now, he would continue to live in the self-important world he thrived in as a pure-blood. Believing himself to be of some entitlement because of some long established stature.

Oh yes, the hat knew where he belonged. Not stupid, but not an Eagle either; certainly not a loyal badger or a courageous lion. He was an ambitious snake, waiting for the kill, a target already picked, the hat decided. The boy he was waiting to meet in fact, the legend, was destined to combat this blonde boy he was sorting. The hat for second was sad, but no comment came from it, and seconds after the boy had sat down, it made its decision. "SLYTHERIN!"

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><p>A boy came up; the hat would feel him breathing shakily under the hat. One glance into his mind and he saw the dark fervor that haunted the boy's family. He was pure-blood, form a long line of proud ones, and yet he seemed to realize that their maniacal thoughts were wrong. The hat saw a family of Slytherins, all of which he distinctly remembered, for they had been one of the rare ones where no real consideration was needed. Muggle-hating, narcissistic, entitled; they all joined Slytherin immediately.<p>

But this boy was different, the hat could tell. Much smarter than the others, adept at magic, loyal to his own heart above his warped family views. A strong boy for age eleven, ready to face he world and the choice the hat made now would determine that. He saw fear from the boy, but only in the context that he would end up like one of his relatives, many of whom were well on the path to being Death Eaters. His determination to be his own person decided it for the hat, who was eager to see how a choice like this would turn out. "GRYFFINDOR!"

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><p>The hat knew instantly that the boy now wearing him had a severe ineptitude at magic. His mind was not suited for spell memorization, albeit one kind. Charms, he realized, would be the boy's specialty. But Charms did not merit a house; they were not a quality that could be measured. Memory charms were an excellent skill to have, but not one that hat could base its decision on.<p>

He was clever, the ability to act idiotic in most situations had led some to underestimate him, the hat saw; but the boy was clearly capable of fooling those he saw fit to. But he did not have a mean spirit, no real ambition other than that of the childish dream of being famous, of having his name and face spread all over the wizard world. The hat saw a dark, blurring event ahead for the boy, one that he really couldn't place, but that was not for him to comment on. "RAVENCLAW!"

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><p>This girl was a different sort of witch. Her aunt was a ministry official, widely respected, he could see form her thoughts, but the girl did not match herself with that woman. She thought of herself as ordinary, simple, plain, with just the chance that she would be born with magical ability. She was the first he would sort this year, and as much as the girl thought otherwise, she was not ordinary.<p>

The hat caught a hint of rebellious spirit in her, one that would make her new friends in her school years. But also a drive to work hard, study what she needed to know, a goal to make good of herself; eliminate the lower standing image she had built for herself. Whether the girl would ever realize it or not, she was important to those people in her family, especially when tragedy would hit them in the years to come. "HUFFLEPUFF!"


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